Mattress with a Vented Cover

ABSTRACT

A mattress to support a user that includes a core positioned within an interior space formed by a cover. The cover protects the core from damage that could result from contact with liquid or debris. A vent extends through the cover to allow airflow into and out of the interior space. The vent  40  includes a plurality of pores that allow the airflow, but limit ingress of liquid and debris.

BACKGROUND

The present application is directed to a mattress and, moreparticularly, to a mattress with a vented cover for airflow into and outof an interior of the mattress.

A mattress provides support for a person that is lying down and oftensleeping. A mattress traditionally includes a core which is the internalsubstrate that provides mattress loft. The core may include arectangular body sized to support the person. In some applications, thecore may also include a pillow operatively connected to the body tofurther support the head and neck of the user.

The mattress may also include a protective cover to protect the corefrom damage that may occur during use. The damage may be intentional,such as by the user ripping or tearing the mattress. Intentional damageis a major concern when the mattress is used in a correctionalinstitution setting, such as a prison, jail, or detention facility. Theuser may intentionally damage the mattress to hide contraband or use themattress as a weapon to either injure themselves or other persons.

The cover includes a vent that allows airflow into and out of theinterior of the mattress but limit the introduction of liquid and debrisin the interior. The limiting of liquid and debris may prevent mold orother harmful agents from forming within the interior. The airflow mayalso make the mattress more comfortable for the user as the amount ofair that remains within the interior changes depending upon the size andweight of the user. The vent is constructed to prevent the user fromremoving the vent and gaining access to the interior of the mattress.

SUMMARY

The present application is directed to a mattress with a core containedwithin a cover. The core may include a first end and a second end andfirst and second sides that extend between the ends. The first andsecond sides may each be configured to support the user. The cover mayform an enclosed interior space to contain the core. The cover mayinclude an exterior surface that is visible to the user and an interiorsurface that faces towards the core. The mattress may also include aplurality of pores that each extend through the cover and are positionedin an area of the cover. The plurality of pores may provide for air tomove into and out of the interior space formed by the cover, and maylimit the ingress of liquid or debris into the interior space.

The various aspects of the various embodiments may be used alone or inany combination, as is desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cut-away perspective view of a mattress according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mattress according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a section view of the mattress of FIG. 2 viewed along the lineIII-III.

FIG. 4 is an exploded back view of a vent illustrating an interiorsurface of a cover with pores that extend through the cover and a patchaccording to one embodiment.

FIG. 5A is a back view of a vent illustrating a patch attached to aninterior surface of a cover according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5B is a front view of a vent illustrating an interior surface of acover with pores that extend through the cover according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective front view of vent illustrating an exteriorsurface of a cover with raised pores according to one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a side view of vent illustrating an interior surface of acover with pores according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present application is directed to a mattress 10 for supporting auser. FIG. 1 includes an embodiment of a mattress 10 that includes acover 30 that forms an interior space 31 that extends around a core 20.The cover 30 protects the core 20 from damage that could result fromcontact with liquid or debris. A vent 40 extends through the cover 30 toallow airflow into and out of the interior space 31. The vent 40includes a plurality of pores that allow the airflow, but limits theingress of liquid or debris.

The core 20 provides support for a user who rests on the mattress 10. Inone embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 1, the core 20 is limited toinclude just a body 21. In another embodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 2and 3, the core 20 includes a body 21 and a pillow 22. The body 21 andpillow 22 may be connected, or may be separate. Each of the body 21 andpillow 22 may be constructed from a single section or from multiplesections.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the body 21 may include a rectangularshape with a first end 23 and opposite second end 24. The body 21 alsoincludes a top side 25 and a bottom side 26 that form the supportsurfaces for the user. One or both of the sides 25, 26 may besubstantially flat (i.e., parallel to a centerline C of the body 21) ormay include variations in one or both sides. The body 21 may beconstructed from various materials, including but not limited topolyester, cotton, foam, inner springs, polyurethane, and latex. Thebody 21 may also be constructed from a combination of two or more ofthese materials.

The pillow 22 is positioned to support the neck and head of the user.The pillow 22 may be positioned at the second end 24 of the body 21. Thepillow 30 includes a first end 27 that faces towards the body 20 and maycontact or be spaced away from the second end 24. The pillow 22 alsoincludes a first side 28 and an opposing second side 29. One or bothsides 28, 29 may be substantially flat (i.e., parallel to a centerlineC′ of the pillow 22), or may include variations (e.g., angle cut, slope,contour shape) in one or both sides. A height of the pillow 22 measuredbetween the sides 28, 29 may be the same as or greater than a height ofthe body 21 measured between the sides 25, 26. In one embodiment, thepillow 22 includes a greater height than the body 21. In one specificembodiment, the height of the pillow 22 is twice the height of the body21. The pillow 22 may also include one or more chamfers positioned atacute angles relative to the centerline C′. The pillow 22 may beconstructed from various materials, including but not limited topolyester, cotton, foam, latex, and polyurethane. The pillow 30 may alsobe constructed from a combination of two or more of these materials.

The cover 30 forms the interior space 31 and extends around the core 20.In embodiments with a body 21 and pillow 22, the interior space 31 maybe sized to allow for some movement of the pillow 22 relative to thebody 21. The cover 30 protects the core 20 from damage by liquid andother debris. The cover 30 may provide an airtight and watertightexterior around the enclosed core 20. The cover 30 may be constructedfrom a variety of materials, including but not limited to polyvinylchloride (PVC) vinyl.

The cover 30 may include one or more seams that may be formed in avariety of manners included but not limited to heat sealing, ultrasonicand RF welding. The seams generally include horizontal seams 32 andvertical seams 33 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The horizontal seams 32extend along the length of the core 20 and are generally parallel withthe centerlines C and C′. The vertical seams 33 extend along the heightof the core 20 and are generally perpendicular to the centerlines C andC′. The vertical seams 33 may be isolated to the corners of the mattress10 with a first pair of vertical seams 33 at the first end 23 and asecond pair at the second end 24. In one embodiment, the vertical seams33 include a smaller height than the core 20 to provide for a moreaesthetically pleasing appearance to the cover 30.

The mattress 10 may be used with either the top side 25 or the bottomside 26 facing upward to support the user. In a first orientation, thetop side 25 faces upward to support the user and the bottom side 26contacting against a support surface, such as the ground, a bed frame,box spring, or the like. In an embodiment with the pillow 22 including agreater height, the top side 28 of the pillow extends above the top side25 of the body 21 to better support the user's neck and head. Themattress 10 may be used in a second orientation with the bottom side 26facing upward to support the user and the top side 25 facing downwardand being in contact with the support surface. In the secondorientation, the top side 29 of the pillow 22 may extend upward beyondthe bottom side 26 to support the user's neck and head when the pillow22 includes a greater height than the body 21.

Various embodiments of a mattress are disclosed in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/500,136 filed on the same day as the presentapplication and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

A vent 40 extends through the cover 30 to provide airflow into and outof the interior space 31. The vent 40 may also allow air to exit fromthe interior space 31 when a user initially sits or lies on the mattress10 as their weight causes the air to be forced through the vent 40.Conversely, air may enter back into the interior space 31 through thevent 40 once the user exits the mattress 10. This movement of air intoand out of the interior space 31 may provide a more comfortable feel fora variety of users as volume of air in the interior space 31 adjustsdepending upon the weight and movement of the user.

FIG. 4 includes a vent 40 with a patch 44 that extends over a pluralityof pores 41 formed through the cover 30. The pores 41 are sized to allowthe flow of air through the cover 30 yet limit entry of liquid anddebris. The size of the pores 41 may vary. In some embodiments, the sizeranges from about 24 gauge (6.1 microns) to about 60 gauge (15.2microns). Each of the pores 41 may include the same size, or the pores41 may include different sizes pores 41 may include the same size, orthe pores 41 may include different sizes ranging from about 0.30 mm toabout 50 mm. The vent 40 may also include various numbers of pores 41and include different pore densities (the number of pores per a givenarea, such as a square inch). In some embodiments, the total number ofpores 41 in a vent 40 ranges from about 1 to about 2400 pores per squareinch. In some embodiments, a vent 40 with a larger overall size mayinclude substantially the same number of pores 41 as a smaller vent 40.This is because the larger vent 40 includes a smaller density of pores41 than the smaller vent 40. Therefore, each of the smaller and largervents 40 is able to accommodate substantially the same amount of airflowinto and out of the interior space 31. The arrangement of the pores 41may also vary with some vents 40 formed from arrays of aligned rowsand/or columns of pores 41 and other vents 40 formed from miscellaneousgroupings.

The pores 41 may be formed in a punching, pressing, or rolling operationin which a pin/platen/roll is forced through the cover 30 to form eachof the pores 41. One process includes punching, pressing, or rolling theelement through the cover 30 from the interior surface 35 to theexterior surface 34, or in the opposite direction. This process forms araised lip 46 on the exterior surface 34 or the interior surface 35 thatsurrounds each of the pores 41. The raised lips 46 extend outward beyondthe un-punched surface 34 or 35. The raised lips 46 may be formed by thedeformation of the cover 30 that occurs during the punching process.

FIG. 6 illustrates a magnified view of the raised lips 46 that extendaround the pores 41. In this embodiment, the raised lips 46 extendoutward beyond the exterior surface 34 of the cover 30. Otherembodiments may include the lips 46 extending outward beyond theinterior surface 35. Each of the lips 46 may be the same, or the lips 46may be different dependent on the punching, pressing, or rollingoperation. The raised lips 46 further shield the pores 41 and furtherlimit the ingress of liquid and other debris.

The vent 40 may also include a patch 44 that extends over the pores 41and is attached to the cover 30. The patch 44 is constructed of amaterial that allows airflow into and out of the interior space 31 butlimits the ingress of liquid and debris. In one embodiment, the patch 44is constructed from POREX 0.007 MUPOR microporouspolytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane fabric from Porex Technologies.The patch 44 may also be constructed from other materials, including butnot limited to eVent Fabric from BHA Group, Inc., and GORETEX protectivevents from W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

The patch 44 may be attached to the interior surface 35 of the cover 35as illustrated in FIG. 5A and is sized to extend over the pores 41. Aseal 45 attaches the patch 44 to the cover 35. The seal 45 may be formedby a variety of applications, including but not limited to adhesive,stitching, heat sealing, and ultrasonic and RF welding. The seal 45extends completely around the patch 44.

Positioning the patch 44 on the interior surface 35 hides the patch 44from the user as illustrated in FIG. 5B and may provide severaladvantages. The patch 44 is not visible and therefore may increase theaesthetic appearance of the mattress 10. The positioning also protectsthe patch 44 from possible damage that could result during normal use ofthe mattress 10. One example of normal use damage includes the patch 44snagging on an object such as the user clothing and being torn from thecover 44. The positioning also prevents the user from intentionallytampering with the patch 44 and attempting to gain access to theinterior space 31. This aspect is of particular interest when themattress 10 is used in a correctional institution.

The pores 41 are of such a small size as to not be readily noticeablewhen viewing the exterior surface 34 of the cover 30. The visiblemasking of the pores 41 may also include attaching a patch 44 that issubstantially the same color as the exterior surface 34 of the cover 30.This aspect increases the aesthetic appearance of the mattress 10 andmay further prevent tampering with the vent 40 in an attempt to gainaccess to the interior space 31.

In one embodiment the patch 44 is attached to the exterior surface 34 ofthe cover 30. The seal 45 provides a secure attachment to preventremoval of the patch 44 either by accidental or intentional tampering.

The vent 40 may be positioned at various locations about the mattress10. In one embodiment, the vent 40 is positioned in a sidewall 58between the top and bottom surfaces 25, 26. In an embodiment with thecore 20 including both a body 21 and a pillow 22, the vent 40 ispositioned at the first end 23 away from the pillow 22. Further, thesize of the vent 40 may include extending along a substantial portion ofthe mattress 10. In one embodiment, the vent 40 extends along almost anentirety of the sidewall 58 between the first and second ends 23, 24.

The mattress 10 may also include more than one vent 40. The vents 40 mayinclude the same or different shapes, sizes, and pore density. The vents40 may also be positioned at the same or different locations on themattress 10.

FIG. 7 includes another vent 40 that includes just the pores 41 withoutpatch 44. The pores 41 are sized to allow airflow into and out of theinterior space 31 and limit the ingress of liquid and debris.

The mattress 10 is constructed and designed for use in a variety ofdifferent contexts. One context is for use in a correctional institutionsuch as a prison or detention center. The mattress 10 may also be usedfor but is not limited to recreational purposes such as camping,military uses, dorm facilities, and also for regular home use.

Spatially relative terms such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”,“upper”, and the like, are used for ease of description to explain thepositioning of one element relative to a second element. These terms areintended to encompass different orientations of the device in additionto different orientations than those depicted in the figures. Further,terms such as “first”, “second”, and the like, are also used to describevarious elements, regions, sections, etc and are also not intended to belimiting. Like terms refer to like elements throughout the description.

As used herein, the terms “having”, “containing”, “including”,“comprising” and the like are open ended terms that indicate thepresence of stated elements or features, but do not preclude additionalelements or features. The articles “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural as well as the singular, unless the context clearlyindicates otherwise.

The present invention may be carried out in other specific ways thanthose herein set forth without departing from the scope and essentialcharacteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are,therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalencyrange of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

1. A mattress to support a user comprising: a core that includes a firstend and a second end and first and second sides that extend between theends and are each configured to support the user; a cover that forms anenclosed interior space to contain the core, the cover including anexterior surface that is visible to the user and an interior surfacethat faces towards the core; and a vent including a plurality of poresthat each extend through the cover and are positioned in an area of thecover, and a patch attached to the interior surface of the cover thatextends over the area, the patch being constructed from a material thatlimits ingress of liquid into the interior space and allows airflow intoand out of the interior space.
 2. The mattress of claim 1, furthercomprising a continuous seal around the patch that attaches the patch tothe interior surface of the cover.
 3. The mattress of claim 1, whereinthe plurality of pores range in size from about 0.30 mm to about 50 mm.4. The mattress of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of poresinclude a common size.
 5. The mattress of claim 1, further comprising asecond vent through the cover for moving air into and out of theinterior space and limiting liquid from entering into the interiorspace, the second vent being spaced away from the vent and including adifferent pore density than the vent.
 6. The mattress of claim 1,wherein each of the pores includes a raised lip that extends outwardbeyond an exterior surface of the cover.
 7. The mattress of claim 1,wherein the core includes a body and a pillow positioned in anend-to-end configuration, the pillow including a greater height than thebody.
 8. A mattress to support a user comprising: a core that includes atop surface and a bottom surface each configured to support the user; acover that forms an enclosed interior space to contain the core, thecover including an interior surface that faces towards the core and anexterior surface; and a plurality of pores that each extend through thecover for moving air into and out of the interior space and limitingliquid from entering into the interior space, each of the plurality ofpores including a raised lip that extends outward beyond the exteriorsurface of the cover.
 9. The mattress of claim 8, further comprising apatch that extends over the plurality of pores and is attached to theinterior surface of the cover, the patch constructed to allow airflowinto and out of the interior space.
 10. The mattress of claim 8, whereinthe cover includes a vertical seam that is shorter than a height of thecore.
 11. The mattress of claim 9, wherein a surface of the patch thatfaces the interior surface of the cover and the exterior surface of thecover have a common color.
 12. The mattress of claim 8, wherein each ofthe plurality of pores ranges in size from about 6 microns to about 15microns.
 13. The mattress of claim 9, wherein the cover is constructedfrom PVC vinyl and the patch is constructed from PTFE.
 14. The mattressof claim 8, wherein the core includes a pillow.
 15. A mattress tosupport a user comprising: a core that includes a top surface and abottom surface each configured to support the user; a cover that formsan enclosed interior space to contain the core, the cover including aninterior surface that faces towards the core and an exterior surface;and a plurality of pores that each extend through the cover for movingair into and out of the interior space and limiting liquid from enteringinto the interior space, each of the plurality of pores including a sizeranging from about 6 microns to about 15 microns; and. a patch thatextends over the plurality of pores and is attached to the cover, thepatch constructed to allow airflow through the plurality of pores andinto and out of the interior space.
 16. The mattress of claim 15,wherein the patch is attached to the interior surface of the cover. 17.The mattress of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of poresincludes a raised lip.
 18. The mattress of claim 17, wherein the raisedlips extend outward from the exterior surface of the cover.
 19. Themattress of claim 15, wherein the patch is constructed of PTFE material.20. The mattress of claim 15, wherein the core includes a body and apillow that are positioned to contact each other in a non-overlappingarrangement.